The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-02-16
6arm gotes.
SHELTERING SHEEP.

sHELTER1Ne SHEEP.
If the wool Of sheep becomes wet
it dries very slowly and only by
chilling the animal through. Shelter
from rain and snow, especially the
former, is therefore more important
than protection from cold. Ii a
sheep is chilled so as to give it cold
or fever, the fibre of the wool is in
jured, and if this occurs in Winter
the injury is in the middle of the
fleece, where it will do the greatest
damage and most hurt its sale.
WATER FROM FARM BUILDINGS.
There need never be any scarcity
of water in any district fit for farm
ing if what falls on house and barn
roofs is saved in cisterns and used.
The barns needed to shelter stock
and the provender for their Winter
feed will shed water enough to last
through the dryest time in Winter
or Summer. For house use rain
water is better than most well water,
provided it has first been filtered.
Nearly all we'll water contains min
eral impurities which make it I'M
healthful for use.
MICE IN CORN STOCKS.
Who're corn is left out in the stock
through the Winter the greater part
of its value is lost. Rains and melt
ting SHOWS soak and drain the stalks
of their nutriment, while inside the
mice stock pursue theirravages with
out fear of their numerous enemies.
A family Of mice will easily destroy
one-quarter of the value Of the corn
in a stock through the Winter. This
is a pretty heavy tax to pay for
delaying work that costs fully as
mucn to do in the Spring as it would
to do in it's proper time in the Fall.
TREE ROOTS Spelling WELL WATER.
Some kinds of trees have such an
affinity for water that it is not good
policy to plant them nea drains or
wells, The elm is most troublesome
to drains, while the common locust
is especially Objectionable if planted
near house wells. Their roots will
travel a distance Of two or three
rods to reach the water, and give it
a most offensive taste. The locust
is lot often now planted near dwell
ings, but it may be in order to give
a caution against digging wells near
locust trees, unless they are first
removed. This is no easy task, as
the locust when cut down sprouts
from the stump, and it's roots throw
up suckers wherever they are broken
by cultivation.
HI HOG CROP OF 1S96-S7.
The hog crop this year is only an
average for the past ten years. Yet
the country has added probably TO-
100000 or more mouths to be fed
during this period. This means
either that the present crop is de-
ficient and prices must advance, or
we must consume more largely of
o her meats than usual. A year ago
low prices for wool caused the
slaughter oflarge quantities ofsheep,
which was turned off for mutton.
The failure Of cattle ranching at the
West has during the past Fall put a
great amount Of beef upon the mar
ket. This has nearly passed. Prices
of meats Of all kinds are higher, and
the natural effect of a short pork
crop is likely to be felt in higher
prices later in the season.
KEEPING GRADE FOWLS
The great majority of fowls kept
by farmers are grades, few having
the courage to stock up with high
priced thoroughbreds, or the time
and skill required to breed them pure
when got. If rightly managed
grade fowls will do as we'll as any,
but the flock must be kept down by
unsparing wedding out Of all object
ionable specimens, and every year
the grade BOOSTERS must be killed.
and pure bred males of some kind
purchased in their place: 1t is this
breeding from thoroughbred males
that is the greatest secret of success
in grading fowls. With mixed blood
on both sides Of the parentage the
offspring becomes not grades but
mongrels, and the flock soon runs
out so as not to be worth keeping.
DRAIN SPOILED BY FROST,
The tile at the outlet of a drain